Ivan sat down next to Alfred's bed. He was feeling as if his back was burning. Alfred had spoken to him, but his mind was not focusing on the English, and just the growing pain.

Eventually Alfred's attentions were turned away. He was still talking, but Ivan didn't register any question words except every once in a while. The young slave girl from a couple days came and helped Ivan once again, tending to his wounds. Ivan still felt the pain, but after the girl was finished, he wasn't asked to leave.

Alfred waited a bit, and kept asking the same thing about every two minutes. After the third time Ivan heard the question. "How are you doing now? Can you respond?"

Ivan nodded. "Yes, ."

Alfred nodded. "Good." He smiled at Ivan, making his heart flutter a bit. Alfred asked his questions: "Why are you here, Ivan?"

Ivan blinked at the question. "Here?" He asked.

Alfred nodded. "You look old to be sold off into slavery, no matter how strong you are. It looks like your strongest days are far over."

Ivan felt a hint of annoyance. "How old do you think I am? Grandpa age?"

Alfred snorted. "You have the white hair." He teased.

Ivan grumbled, and pulled at his platinum blond hair. "Is blond. No white." He bit back, "Stupid American," from his sentence. He was still under Alfred…

"So how old are you?" Alfred asked.

Ivan hesitated from his question. He did not know, actually. "I am…." He knew where he was around. "Thirty-one." He decided.

Alfred looked startled. Did he actually think Ivan was that old…? He shook his head. Alfred chirped, "You're not that much older than me!" He seemed… Happy? Why was he happy about that?

Alfred wiggled in his bed. "Now… You were sold off as property, right?" Ivan nodded. "Then why are you so loyal to me? You could have let Smith get me twice now."

Ivan looked at Alfred for a long moment. He didn't realize he was making the young man squirm. "Because Smith is bad man." He stated bluntly.

"And I'm good?"

Ivan was startled by this question. He mulled it over. He treated his slaves like workers. They weren't treated as well as they could have been, but catching stories of the horrible conditions that settled many of the ones in trade made him think that they were in good hands. All the slaves spoke highly of Alfred, yet did acknowledge that he was still a slave holder, so not the best. In his mind, all he seen from Alfred was really compassion and respect, even if he bought people. "Yes. I believe you are good man."

Alfred visibly relaxed. "So you protect the good men from the bad?" He grinned at Ivan. "Sounds like a hero." He sounded wistful.

Ivan waited for a while. Alfred seemed to have gone off into his own world. "Is… Something you want to be?" He asked the young man.

Alfred nodded in a day-dreaming fashion. "Yeah. I want to go be a ranger."

Ivan tilted his head. "Why? You have much here."

Alfred looked at Ivan, and suddenly became much more animated. "But it's tedious here! Work, make sure everything's going smoothly, making sure everything is fixed, and if not telling someone to go do it or myself, and running errands. No, that's not interesting." He waved a hand up in the air. "I want to go down to Texas, and become a ranger." He had this big grin on his face. "Getting outlaws, every day something new, and going across the big state." He sighed, leaning back. "That would be an amazing life. Exciting. Not like here."

Ivan nodded in understanding.

Alfred mulled things over. "But someone's got to run this place. Though I didn't get very good help."

"Yes did not," Ivan said simply.

Alfred shot him a look, and Ivan shut his mouth, dipping his head. "I have my reasons," Alfred said with a huff.

After a while longer, Ivan had found out that Alfred was a worrier, even though he seemed to take things in stride. He did say he worried over Amelia, because she was always bored, but never seemed to have more than an awkward fondness for his own wife… It was odd. He didn't dig deeper. He didn't want to pry.

It crossed his mind to ask this man why he was telling and asking Ivan all of this stuff, but once he did, would he remember Ivan was a slave and send him away? He furrowed his brow in thought.

Nadeen came up and announced, "Dinner is ready, . Do you need help out of bed?"

Alfred shook his head. "Nah. I've been lazy enough all day." He decided, and got up. He groaned, and Ivan looked towards his chest as Alfred touched his healing wounds from the whip. They were much better now. He motioned for Ivan. "Here, I'll help you stand." He held out his hand to the large man.

Ivan shook his head. "No, is okay. I can stand." Ivan tried to get up, and instantly felt his back telling him no. He slammed back down into the chair. He felt a hand on his wrist pull him up with so much strength. Ivan became dizzy from the speed and nearly toppled over.

"Are you alright, big guy?" Alfred asked.

Ivan nodded. "D-da. Just fine." He said, hand to his head. Did Alfred just pull him up? This little man?

Alfred grinned. "Good. Now come on. It's time for dinner."

A short chapter. This took two sessions because... Welp, I'm sick. x.x I'm sick so I can't write all too much.. But I must keep writing at least once a day.

For those of you wondering about when the romance will actually bloom between Ivan and Alfred will be, it'll still be a while longer. Yes, it is a RusAme story, and another pairing that you'll see about a little before the first pairing comes up. ^_~

Anyway.

Sit back, relax, and enjoy~